A sneak peek at hot books coming to the library this spring

Although we are still in the grip of winter, librarians are busy reviewing publisher catalogs to ensure that Beaufort County library branches are stocked with the latest best-selling titles by favorite authors.

Best-selling authors typically have a "street date" attached to the publication of their titles. This means that libraries and bookstores alike cannot release the title before the street date. (Warning: Street dates are subject to change with little notice.) If a latest release is spotted on a bookstore shelf, be assured that it will be available at the library shortly thereafter.

Holds can be placed at the Bluffton library service desks, or by calling the reference desk at 843-255-6503. A quicker approach is to go online to the Beaufort County Library website at www.beaufortcountylibrary.org and place a hold on the desired title by entering your library card number or username and password.

The following sneak peek at upcoming best-sellers is provided by the McNaughton book lease program. Look for these blockbusters to "hit the street" this spring:

"10th Anniversary (Women's Murder Club)," by James Patterson (May 2): Detective Lindsay Boxer has little time to settle into her new marriage when she's called on to investigate the brutal beating of a teenage girl and the kidnapping of her newborn baby. The criminals left no evidence, and Lindsay soon discovers the girl might be hiding a secret, as well.

"Caleb's Crossing," by Geraldine Brooks (May 3): Brooks' newest work of fiction -- based on a true story -- transports readers to 1660s Martha's Vineyard and Cambridge to tell the tale of the intertwined destinies of Caleb Cheshahteaumuck, the first Native American to graduate from Harvard, and Bethia Mayfield, a young woman struggling to find her place in the world.

"Sixkill," by Robert B. Parker (May 3): When bad boy actor Jumbo Nelson is accused of rape and murder, and the case starts to seem fishy, the Boston Police Department asks Spenser to investigate. Forging an unlikely alliance with Jumbo's Native American bodyguard, the two must put things right even as secrets about Jumbo and the dead girl come to light.

"The Butterfly's Daughter," by Mary Alice Monroe (May 3): When Luz Avila's grandmother dies before she can take a planned road trip home to Mexico, Luz decides to take her grandmother's ashes home. Along the way she attracts a collection of lost women, each seeking to change their lives. Now they're on a journey that follows migrating monarch butterflies.

"Buried Prey," by John Sandford (May 10): During demolition work at the future site of a condominium development the bodies of two girls are found beneath an old house. Police Officer Lucas Davenport remembers when the two girls went missing and the kidnapper was killed in a shootout in 1985. Now that the case was reopened, he dives into the investigation once more.

"Dreams of Joy," by Lisa See (May 31): After discovering the truth about her mother and father, Joy flees to China, and Pearl, realizing what's happened, sets out for Mao's China, determined to find her daughter. Both struggle as they face their past and a country that's intolerant of their free spirits.

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